Yes, I keep an oily rag and the mineral oil bottle in a large freezer-type baggie. I keep them under my sink. Frankly, I have not washed the oily rag yet (the counters are always cleaned before oiling) and wouldn't put it in the washing machine. I'd replace it as needed.

same here. I only oil/wax occasionally and have not washed them as I thoroughly clean the counters prior to waxing. I just throw them out when it gets nasty looking.

Ditto above (just chucking them and starting fresh every once in a while). But I keep mine in a plastic tray on a shelf underneath my sink, not in a ziploc bag.

One key is to always wash down your counters before oiling. This helps keep anything from building into the patina of the stone. Much more important when you first get your soapstone. Use the backside of a non scratch scrubby pad and your choice of soap like dove, Palmolive, etc. . . rinse off, wait until dry and go nuts!

You Rock, Florida Joshua, thank you! :)

Are you doing just mineral oil or oil and wax combos? I used to think that oil & wax was better but there have been some recent threads on wax building up and contributing to rings and marks.

Our soapstone has been installed for 5 weeks. We're still in the "oil weekly" phase. I apply the oil with a paper towel and then wipe off the wet look with a cloth diaper 10 mins later. I trash the paper towel and put the diapers in the wash alone when done. No zip baggies for me, although I tried keeping them that way.

I oil my counters when the mood strikes me with mineral oil. Clean first, then use old rag. I do throw the rags in the wash after each use. No problems with washer. We have had our new counters for a little over 8 months.

Thanks so much for the tips, Florida Joshua! Our soapstone counters are fairly new and I'm wondering...will hard water affect them? Is the residue permanent and something I should be worried about? We're searching for the right water softening system, but in the meantime, I'm curious (and a little worried).

At the school where I work, there are soapstone counters in the science labs that have been there for over 75 years - still in perfect condition minus a few scratched in names. Neither the cleaning staff nor the teachers baby these counters with oil or wax or anything even vaguely resembling careful. Imagine the chemicals, caustic and otherwsie, that have been spilled on these counters over the decades. When the science building was renovated a few years ago, someone sanded the heck out of the tables and moved on.

I know this is not kitchen info, but I do think it means your soapstone is safe from hard water and pretty much anything else you want to throw at it.